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Review: Antec Three Hundred Two

by Parm Mann on 2 March 2012, 16:15 3.5

Tags: Antec

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Final thoughts and rating

Antec set out to bring the tried-and-trusted Three Hundred up to date with a feature set suited to enthusiasts on a budget, and has in many ways succeeded.

The Three Hundred Two is better equipped with USB 3.0, more drive bays and increased GPU clearance, and Antec has made the enclosure easier to work with by adding a good selection of tool-free mechanisms and well-placed cable-routing holes.

With the upgrades, the Three Hundred Two becomes a good-sized chassis that's well-suited to today's high-end hardware, and though it can get loud as a result of the numerous open vents, the pre-installed TwoCool fans do make it easy to keep noise levels in check.

The chassis should be a strong contender for a budget gaming machine, but a few niggles do prevent it from its reaching its full potential. The exterior aesthetics are simple, and the grey interior - despite being well laid out - comes across as dull. And there's also the issue of cost. The Three Hundred Two would be a no-brainer if it matched its predecessor by coming in at around £40, but the current retail price of £55 puts it up against some strong alternatives.

Bottom line: The Three Hundred Two is a solid step up from the ageing Three Hundred, but Antec needs to shave a few pounds off the price tag if it's to stand out from the competition.

The Good

Good cooling potential
Well laid out interior
Decent build quality
Dual-speed fans

The Bad

Grey interior looks dull
Isn't as affordable as its predecessor
Cable-routing system is basic

HEXUS Rating

3.5/5
Antec Three Hundred Two

HEXUS Where2Buy

The Antec Three Hundred Two chassis is available to purchase from ebuyer.com.

HEXUS Right2Reply

At HEXUS, we invite the companies whose products we test to comment on our articles. If any company representatives for the products reviewed choose to respond, we'll publish their commentary here verbatim.



HEXUS Forums :: 4 Comments

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Solid case. Well outdated looks though, especially stock light grey interior. No thanks. Nearly every manufacturer now sprays interior of their cases.
I love my 300. Not sure I can see any reason to replace it when I next upgrade though. Its not like I have any USB 3 devices and when I do an extension cable from the back would be a better choice than spending £50! I can imagine many others will feel the same.

Also am I the only one who likes the industrial look of the original?
cheesemp
I love my 300. Not sure I can see any reason to replace it when I next upgrade though. Its not like I have any USB 3 devices and when I do an extension cable from the back would be a better choice than spending £50! I can imagine many others will feel the same.

Also am I the only one who likes the industrial look of the original?

I still very much like my Antec 300, but it's cooling capacity is starting to worry me a little..

I've got a pretty high-end PC, especially with the GTX580, that pumps out quite a bit of heat, so I'm looking to upgrade to a case with better cable routing and more fan mounts.

Currently looking at the Corsair Carbide 300R.

One thing that I like about this is the sideways mounting of the HDDs, compared to the Antec 300, it causes all sorts of problems for me with the GTX580.
cheesemp
I love my 300. Not sure I can see any reason to replace it when I next upgrade though. Its not like I have any USB 3 devices and when I do an extension cable from the back would be a better choice than spending £50! I can imagine many others will feel the same.

Also am I the only one who likes the industrial look of the original?

I do really like the way my 300 looks, but I got that case about 4 months ago, *shakes fist at Antec*.